Use herbicides to thin trees

Overall effectiveness category Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)
Number of studies: 1
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

5%
Certainty

13%
Harms

0%

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

Although the use of herbicides is often not recommended as a conservation tool, in some cases it is used to increase forest structural diversity.

Study locations

Key messages

One replicated, controlled study in Canada found no effect of using herbicide to thin pine trees on total plant species richness.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A replicated, controlled study in 1993-1998 in temperate lodgepole pine Pinus contorta forest in British Columbia, Canada (Sullivan et al. 2002) found no effect of using herbicide to thin lodgepole pine on total tree density or on total plant species richness. There was no effect of herbicide on the number of trees (herbicide: 4,180; control: 7,648/ha) or number of plants species (herbicide: 24; control: 23/treatment unit). Data were collected in 1998 in herbicide (using glyphosate herbicide to retain 1,000 stems/ha) and control treatment units (2-13 ha). Units were established in 1993 in each of three study areas.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Sullivan T.P., Sullivan D.S., Lindgren P.M. & Boateng J.O. (2002) Influence of conventional and chemical thinning on stand structure and diversity of plant and mammal communities in young lodgepole pine forest. Forest Ecology and Management, 170, 173-187.

Please cite as:

Agra, H., Schowanek, S., Carmel, Y., Smith, R.K. & Ne’eman, G. (2020) Forest Conservation. Pages 323-366 in: W.J. Sutherland, L.V. Dicks, S.O. Petrovan & R.K. Smith (eds) What Works in Conservation 2020. Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

All the journals searched for all synopses

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Forest Conservation

Related Actions

Actions	Effectiveness	Category
Imitate natural disturbances by pushing over trees Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	Synopsis Link
Pollard trees (top cutting or top pruning) Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	Synopsis Link
Retain fallen trees Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	Synopsis Link